Who Will Craft Images and Animation for New Daily Two-Fer Movie Features

New York, NY, January 22, 2007 – VOOM’s Monsters HD, the first 24-hour high-definition television network dedicated to horror and creature features, has once again enlisted one of the true visionaries of the comic and fantasy art world, Bernie Wrightson, to conceptualize a bold, new on-air image for its newest programming strand, a daily thematic horror double-feature called Gruesome Twosome. The new strand will debut Thursday, February 1 with six thematic double features, led by Gruesome Twosome: Mutant Monsters featuring First Man In Space and Day the World Ended beginning at 6:00 a.m. (ET).

Gruesome Twosome is a throwback to the days of the cinematic double feature, only a bit more twisted, as only the villainous minds at VOOM Monsters HD can bring you. In this daily programming block, two frightening features will creep their way into your living room according to their theme. For instance, feeling like the in-crowd at school has been treated you like chopped liver lately? Then February 9’s Gruesome Twosome:Telekenetic Terror will help give those cheerleaders and jocks their due, by showing what happens when the cool kids and mean girls get their comeuppance in Carrie followed by The Rage: Carrie 2.

Wrightson’s original imagery was a central component to VOOM Monsters HD’s American MonStar. Announced in July 2006 at ComiCon, American MonStar is an on-going grassroots outreach designed to discover and spotlight the broad range of aspiring talent in the horror community, including filmmakers, make-up and effects artists, actors, animators, illustrators, and musicians. The Uncle Sam-like character Wrightson created as a call-to-action for effort, Uncle Samhaim, brandishes an eyeball in hand as he tells viewers: “EYE Want YOU to Become an American MonStar!”

The fact that Wrightson, a true Godfather of comic ghouls, is in charge of the art design for the strand’s graphics means viewers will get a double dose of fear features packaged and crafted by a true master of the genre.

Wrightson has created a ghoulish carnival/sideshow themed environment for the strand’s packaging, a veritable “sideshow in hell” with a corpse-like carnival barker and circus banner art to promote the features. Wrightson’s work has been animated for a series of show openings and promos that will live both on the channel and its popular website, www.monstershd.com. Fans of the artist will notice similarities between this work and one of his most popular graphic novels, Freakshow. VOOM Monsters HD’s general manager David Sehring and creative director Jason Bylan worked closely with the artist on the imagery and its animation.

The legendary Wrightson has been creating some of the most memorable images in horror art for over 30 years. Perhaps best known for co-creating DC Comics’ Swamp Thing and for his definitive illustration of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, Wrightson also collaborates regularly with author Stephen King, having brought his captivating visual language to illustrated versions of King classics like The Stand, Cycle of the Werewolf, and the Dark Tower V. Over the years, his comic art talents have been featured in leading franchises including Spiderman and Batman, and most recently DC Comics’ Nevermore and Toe Tags. Wrightson’s horrifying, flesh-dripping illustrations have attracted a legion of fans, among them top Hollywood directors who have enlisted the artist to conceive and storyboard films including Ghostbusters, Galaxy Quest, Spiderman and George Romero's Land of the Dead.

The VOOM HD Networks are the largest and most diverse suite of high definition channels available anywhere. Produced exclusively in true high definition and 5.1 Dolby digital surround sound for distribution in the U.S. through satellite and cable operators, the 15 VOOM HD Networks carry programming in categories as diverse as sports, movies, fashion, music and art. The VOOM HD Networks are commercial-free and available nationally on Echostar’s DISH Network. Developed by Rainbow Media to meet the growing demand for quality high definition programming, the VOOM HD Networks build on Rainbow Media's history of original programming innovation.

About Rainbow Media Holdings LLC

Rainbow Media Holdings LLC is a subsidiary of Cablevision Systems Corporation (NYSE: CVC). Rainbow Media creates and manages some of the country's most compelling and dynamic entertainment brands including popular national and regional television channels AMC, fuse, The Independent Film Channel (IFC), WE tv, and three FSN affiliated regional sports networks managed by Rainbow Sports Networks. The company also manages Mag Rack and sportskool, two original on-demand networks; VOOM HD Networks, the largest and most diverse suite of high definition channels available anywhere; IFC Entertainment, its film distribution, production and exhibition division; Rainbow Advertising Sales Corporation, its advertising sales division; and Rainbow Network Communications, its full service network programming origination and distribution company.